


Zyklon

by Hotalando



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Coping, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Feelings Realization, Gen, Loss, M/M, Separations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-02-24 02:24:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 17,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13203753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hotalando/pseuds/Hotalando
Summary: A cyclone is an air mass rotating around a low-pressure atmospheric center. While everything around him is caught up in fatal motions, Luffy feels muted in the wake of the accident. With most of them lost, how could they escape the storm?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I recommend to keep skin formatting **enabled**.

## Prologue

“There’s another wave coming!” yelled from the railing, its announcement merely a desperate way to do anything at all. “What the hell are we going to do?” Men were running about, securing the ship, fastening ropes where values should remain safe from the clutches of the seas. “Just keep going! I’m trying to find a way fo-” the wave swallowed their breaths and words and visions, yet they kept themselves above the surface. For how long?

What was the ocean but the collections of drowned beliefs and dreams, the core drives of man’s self-esteem?

Wherever the water hadn’t reached the ship, their panic found shelter. Pushing and shoving, the ship had no course anymore but where the storm wanted it to go. Were they to follow, they wouldn’t return. “ _Nami!_ What should we do? The waves are going to push us over!”  
“ _Don’t you think I know?_ I don’t know, we just need to try fighting against them! The storm should be over soon!” hands holding onto the ship, grasping whatever chance there was left, with wood so soaked up with seawater and fear.

How to keep a solid footing where no soil forms a ground to stand on? how to keep a balance in a shapeless world?

Once her hands let go, too tired from holding on for life, her body was lost in the forces of the storm and the clutch of the ocean. Without her, their hope was gone, and their lives, too. No attempt could change their fate, one by one they followed her, robbed of their willpower, betrayed by the freedom they had ever so trusted.

~~If anything could be~~

“Is this real? It’s just a nightmare-”

~~With no shore to~~

“Luffy!”

A new day must come. 

“Yes, what?” His fingers hovered over the keys, the next words already threatening to slip from their tips. Annoyance was an overwhelming sensation, to dread because it loosened the concentration from his mind. 

Sounding closer but no bodily shape in sight, the voice resumed the violent action to tear his thoughts from his hands. “Didn’t I tell you take out the trash? I’m running late so could you please finally do as I say? For once, maybe?” She joined her words in the doorway to his room, his little hideout from the world. 

Slipped. The emotions replaced by agitation and finally by defeat, no more linked to the thoughts he needed to type down. All gone, what he couldn’t feel, he couldn’t put into words. “I’ll do it, Robin.” So hollow but that wasn’t her blame to take—his resolve had been swept away.

“Fine,” she forced a smile, knowing well how her good intentions weren’t seeping through to him. “I don’t mean to cage you in rules but it would make life easier if we shared the chores. And you could use some inspirational walk.” 

Luffy turned around with a grin growing on his lips. “To the dumpster. Sure.” 

“Yes, why not. If others gain inspirations while on the toilet, why can’t you find your muse on the way to the dumpster?” Though filling each word with her characteristic humour, she remained with a neutral face for a whole moment until she curved her lips into a smile. Wasn’t his grin still contagious, she thought. 

No longer annoyed by her—how could he ever—Luffy rolled his eyes and turned back to the typewriter, the grin nearly turning up into laughter. “Go to work finally! Your brain must be bored…” 

“Until I have to read through your mess of grammar tonight.” Robin said her goodbye, one of her disembodied hands brushing his chaos of raven black hair to one side in her unique kind of affection, and left to work. 

“What mess of grammar, it’s gotten better…” Luffy mumbled, ruffling through his hair to reinstall his hairstyle. At least his words matched his meanings and those came across just nicely and exactly as he wanted them to reach the reader. Would he amaze her otherwise?

A new day must come. To find what’s lost. **︳**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is the end of the prologue of my attempt to reanimate my old fanfiction Cyclone that... well, is stuck in a swamp and I can't seem to pull it out again. The core plot has potential but my naive ideas to tell a story with it simply wouldn't work out anymore—in general and personally. So I worked on a totally different layout for the plot and changed at least 60% of the old fic. I don't know how much of the original contents will flow into this one, for one I'm not so sure about the shippings anymore but that's for the (near) future (at least hints of ZoSan).  
> The plot starts off between the first day on the high seas after Thriller Bark and before any of the events leading up to Keimi & co. It's based on the canon plot but takes a complete different road as in direction and timing. (Mainly because it's fun to explore the characters in strange and non-canon situations.)
> 
> So, yeah: Happy reading!


	2. Earth Slide

## Chapter 1: Earth Slide

Wetness was dripping from the above, a single drop had made it through to pool on his forehead. So it was raining again, heavily enough to seep through the ground. A sudden idea of feeling drained rushed through his bones but he wasn’t so sure about it—fleeting sensations had lost their meaning when time had stopped flowing. If it wasn’t for the occasional rain, there was nothing left to feel, not even the fear now sitting atop his ribcage. How this particular emotion turned his space so much smaller, he had forgotten how that bothered him. 

And as the rain was coming and leaving, never more than some droplets to him, his soul reduced itself to the thickest of emotions. That which could live of its own fat way beyond the spiritual starvation. He had been there. Once. For what had felt like a timeless dimension, and still hadn’t even lasted for hundred years. But nearly.

He had been there. In the dark, in the void, in the numbness of his own body. Floating through nothing but at least having a plan haunting his mind, some mission to seek. Something to keep him going, if only through the misty emptiness that his life had become. Had it felt like the worst idea of hell to him, and to any man it would have felt the same. 

What could be worse than that floating hell he had been rescued from not that long ago? 

Well, a hell six feet under ground. 

* * *

The amused look in her eyes opened doors for his insecurity, nothing new when he was awaiting her judgment. “What’s so funny?” he heard himself asking nonetheless, after all none of it was meant to be amusing. 

“That a trip to the dumpster indeed boosted your productivity. I barely remember the last time you gave me so many words to read,” Robin smiled widely, “And it’s funny that you stopped rewriting passages after your dumpster trip.” Her voice was swelling with pride at being right but Luffy knew that most of it belonged to him. 

It had been her idea in the first place. When one day his memories had turned him blind, unable to see any sense in _every_ thing, and their loud crashing waves had filled his head up with imaginary seawater, Robin had said: “Write it down. If speaking it out hurts, then hush it to the paper.” Later on, Luffy had realised that reading it hurt her less, too.

But writing was so hard. Luffy had never had a reason to, nor to read since there was Robin to do that for him. Although having been taught how to do either of it, his ability to actually perform these skills had been moulded into a miserable state over time. With guidance and lessons by Robin, he had eventually learned how to express himself through written down words and taught himself how to draw pictures with them as well.

“It _might_ have helped,” Luffy admitted with a roll of his eyes and a smile on his lips. Her pride of his development and results mattered to him a lot, on some days it was the only reason for him to leave his bed. 

“Well, then I suggest you repeat it. The fresh air and exercise would be good for you.” One of her motherly advices Luffy had come to love as much as loathe. At times, these actions made it hard to remember her true person. 

“Actually, there’s a contest to be held next month, you should totally submit one of your works.” Reaching down to her bag, she rummaged through its front pockets and pulled out a folded paper. After returning it to its original state, she handed it over to Luffy. “It’s got no rules as in type of writing. It’s nothing big, just some local competition—but the prize seems useful.”

A frown settled onto his features at the piece of paper handed over to him. To bring home flyers to him wasn’t unusual of Robin but all of them had in some sort been job offerings, if only small tasks like sweeping front yards or even babysitting. Her wage was enough for them to get by, to run this apartment with barely enough space for the two of them―she was mostly afraid to leave him alone every day with nothing else to do but to watch his memories. Luffy understood—all of the rules and chores and teachings were Robin’s way of taking care of the situation and expressing her strong loyalty to him. Despite their situation.

 _First prize: Gift card of 1500 beli_ it said, accompanied by the logo of the local shopping mall. Second prize was another gift card of 500 beli for the stationery store at the mall. As much as he would love to buy thicker paper and a better notepad, he was to go for gold—given he would participate. “Don’t I… like have to submit it under my real name?”

Robin shook her head. “Authors do make use of pen names. It’s common and legal, also mentioned in the terms and conditions at the bottom.” 

Indeed, _alternatively, participants may submit their works anonymously using a pen name_ , it read in a smaller font. “And… you think I could win?”

“I am certain of it.”


	3. Westerly

## Chapter 2: Westerly

Gaze wandering upward, there was nothing else to be seen but grey endlessness, here and there disturbed by bald treetops. Nature had shed its colourful diversity completely and by now he was certain it was Winter. Harsh winds blew past the branches, rattling the younger twigs dangerously in their cruelty. There was little green on the ground, sturdy moss defying the conditions that all leaves and flowers had fallen victim to some weeks ago. 

If he was to go by his experiences, this could hardly be Winter. Mild temperatures kept the waters liquid and the rain falling. Each night it would soak him through until he couldn’t tell if he had ever left the ocean or was still drowning in it. Maybe he was?

His feet didn’t hold him up any longer so he settled onto the spongy moss he was standing on. Its instability let him sink in a little and if it wasn’t so wet, it could be comfortable. Heavy downpour drenched him in coldness and emptiness and loneliness. At least, when the red and yellow had tipped the ends of the twigs in autumn and the floors had been carrying a variety of grass patches, there had been animals around for company. Now they were all in a deep slumber and he was left with the remaining silence that filled in the voids Mother Nature had left. And the void left within him, isolated from those inhabiting this forest by his sheer biological difference, separated from those he was connected to through emotional bonds.

What loneliness meant, he had come to know. How cold it could feel, he had never dared to imagine. 

  


* * *

  


There was no need to spend a thought on how Robin had been right—again. Her level of experience and knowledge would always remain out of his reach, beyond his imagination—but for what would he have to surpass her? Let alone reach her when she was by his side already to gift him with her intelligence and wisdom. She was there and with him, and there was nothing else that mattered. 

So once Robin had left for work, Luffy found himself bothered by the largeness of the apartment. On Weekends it tended to feel too small for both of them, with Robin using their shared living-room as her bedroom at night. The money she earned from shelving books at the local library sufficed for a fifth-storey apartment in the cheapest quarter of the town, only consisting of a bath, a kitchen big enough for one to cook inside, a medium-sized room and something Robin had labelled as “storage” that now was Luffy’s bedroom. Little by little they had collected furniture, some of it from piles of bulk rubbish, the rest were gifts from Robin’s co-workers. It was enough for them, they had a safe place to sleep, money for the basics of living and Robin’s cooking was becoming a highlight of Luffy’s daily routine. And what money was left to spare at the end of the month, they saved for emergencies. 

Only once they had used it to spend on luxury. When Zoro’s birthday had been on schedule, they had bought an used typewriter for Luffy and a coffee maker for Robin. To date that had been the only day they had spend from morning till evening in public. 

To avoid feeling bored and lonely, Luffy decided to give Robin’s suggestion a try. Properly dressed for the cold weather in a coat and boots he didn’t like, he strolled through the alleys snaking around the large buildings forming the housing estate. A worn down, second-hand bag strapped over his shoulder to carry his sorry excuse of a notepad and some pens that—after an incident involving heavy rain—he had been clever enough to wrap in a plastic bag. 

There was a playground three buildings south from theirs and at this time of day occupied by the kids of the neighbourhood. A sky clear of clouds and shining blue and fresh was a promising condition for life to flee the tiny and sad apartments. According to the man on the radio, there would be no more rain until December so Luffy’s hopes were high to be able to come here for the rest of the week.

When he sat down on a bench in front of the only tree, some of the boys by the slope waved at him and grinned when he greeted back. In late September, nearly three months after the catastrophe—when Robin had still had the mind to drag him out of the house, even lock him out while she had been at work—Luffy had befriended the group of three boys. They had usually played together until past dinner time and Luffy had ever since wondered if their parents even cared. To have eleven-year-old’s play alone in the dark wasn’t wrong to him but had always seemed to him as if they would never return to their homes for the night. Or was he projecting?

It didn’t take long for them to settle around him, apparently thrilled to see him again after weeks. “You here to play till your mother picks you up?”

Luffy smiled, not having the mind to correct people anymore. “Not really, I’m looking for some inspiration.”

“Inspi- what?” The boy in front of him, Gary, looked at him in confusion. 

“He’s out of ideas, stupid!” Nathan rolled his eyes at his friend, then turned to their older companion. “You draw?”

“No, I write,” Luffy answered with a shake of his head, “There’s a contest at the library and I want to write something for it.” 

“Oh! I know! My sister won second prize last year!” Ian threw in excitedly. “Her story was so creepy…”

“Yeah I heard they like creepy ones better,” Nathan nodded, “They read the best ones at school fair last year.”

All the while, Luffy watched them interacting with a smile. Not that living alone with Robin made him feel lonely, not at all, but they were different in so many areas that having other people to talk to filled the hole inside him even more.  
“So you think I should write a ghost story?” Could he even? So far he had only written about the accident and the damages his mind, heart and soul had taken from it. A ghost story seemed more of creative writing than simply expressing thoughts. 

“Yeah! Write ‘bout that spooky grave in Hitchwick!” Gary piped in eagerly, “My uncle tells stories ‘bout it! You can hear noises from it but it’s dead and so creepy and…”

While the boys kept riddling about the oh so spooky grave, Luffy was wondering if he should reveal to them how he had seen far creepier things than that. But the very thought about it was threatening a wound inside his chest that was slowly reacting to Robin’s care and he had no mind to tear it open. 

“...no, I swear it’s true! The body was only bones,” Gary insisted with a small pout. 

“Wait, what?” Luffy’s attention was forcefully being drawn to the brown-haired boy in front of him. “You mean like a skeleton?”

“Yeah, like that one in the candy shop on Halloween. Uncle Jacob said they found it in the river and then buried it and later there were noises coming from the grave. Like it still lives,” Gary continued, repeating the story for his older friend. 

“Mum says it’s just plastic and that the people from Hitchwick only want to spook people,” Ian said, “And to scare the kids to make them stay away from the river.”

“It’s real! My uncle wouldn’t lie!” Gary’s temper was reddening his face and turning the knuckles of his clenched fists white. 

Sensing how the situation was stirring up emotions, Luffy quickly interfered. “Well, I guess I need to ask your uncle myself? Then I can write about it.” 

“Really? Cool!” Gary beamed at the recognition by his friend. “Uncle Jacob sells meat at the mall. I can take you there!”

Luffy smiled, “Thank you but I have to wait for… my mother first.”

And this strange knot in his chest to loosen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, I decided to add some ZoSan, more or less starting with the next chapter. It's ZoSan in development.


	4. Mild Winds

## Chapter 3: Mild Winds

“And watch out for the beast!” 

Once alone at the rims of the forest, the two man turned towards the wideness of nature lying across the uneven terrain. Their backs equipped with bags to contain the tools they would need—however they had never used them. Hunting the extraordinarily weak wildlife in the area was no effort to any of them with or without tools. And they would only use their _own_ tools anyway. 

“I wonder what that beast might be,” one of them mused as they climbed over the roots of the large trees at the border. There were paths for travellers and the townsfolk but they preferred the exercise. 

“Maybe you,” the other replied and walked ahead, no mind to pay attention to the reactions he might have initiated. When none irritated his peripheric view though, he turned back to his companion, “Move it, would you?”

“Don’t boss me around!” he bickered back and quickly closed the distance between them. “This situation doesn’t automatically put you in charge.” 

“It does. That’s exactly what my position in the crew is for.” His voice had become so quiet, softer at its edges whenever memories would be spoken. 

Both of them had noticed the changes—the memories they avoided, the nights they dreaded, the names they couldn’t say—but none of them dared to use it against the other. There had always been respect between them, something the ocean couldn’t take away from them. 

Would they notice the other’s mood turning dark, they knew to silence their mockery. It was a pain they were both holding within their chests, and it felt like water in their lungs that hadn’t left. A force trying to drown them once again, to easen them off of the questions—how to keep on, where to go—by twisting their sanity. Their will to keep on going, to keep on searching, would erode wouldn’t they admit to another. 

Carrying this burden together made it lighter.  


* * *

  


“But it can’t be a mistake!” Luffy sat at the table, emotions erupting from within him that he hadn’t felt in months. 

Robin had her back turned to him, unable to face him when she repeated: “But a coincidence. I am merely saying that we don’t have enough information to have our hopes up this high already.” How shall she deal with the gravity of his disappointment? How should she catch him when holding him was already demanding all she had?

“Then we gotta find out more!” Luffy insisted loudly but was stripped of his enthusiasm when Robin’s shoulders dropped in defeat. “ _Please_ —don’t you want to get away from here like I do?” 

The silence that followed wasn’t the worst Luffy had to cope with—it was _her_ silence. From all the things she did for them and him, how bravery was the principle of her everyday life to keep a roof over their heads and food on their plates—and his mood optimistic—he knew how it was all just a tool for her to hide from the sorrow inside her. One day he had tried to put it into words: _It seems like a ghost surrounded by a halo made of pain_.

And how the radiation from that pain was affecting him, too—would he ever find the words to tell her?

After all, she based herself on the caring of him. It had been and still was one of the pillars of her life to watch out for him, to protect him regardless of the costs. And not only out of gratitude he wanted to watch over her in return. 

“Well, uhm—I couldn’t write anything today,” Luffy admitted only partially in shame to hush negative feelings away. Not a first but it rarely happened—he had started to enjoy providing Robin with an after-work entertainment. “But I’m sort of clueless about what to write for the competition. It doesn’t feel right to submit what I’ve written so far. I want to try something new.”

It was quiet again but this time the atmosphere seemed more vivid. Taking a moment to think, judging from her now relaxed body language, Robin lifted her gaze up and out of the window. “Fiction writing, maybe?” she turned to around, letting loose of the plant pots on the window sill. “You would have to learn to create plotlines and authentic characters. That takes a lot of practice to master.”

“That sure sounds like too much work,” Luffy grimaced, “And it’s only three weeks left till the deadline.”

“What is wrong with your current style? It’s extendable to other emotions and situations,” she asked while walking over to the table to sit across from him. The surface was only large enough for the two of them to eat. “Instead of writing about the emotions from your memories, you could write about the feelings you have on your unproductive days.”

Luffy frowned in disbelief. “Who would want to read that?”

“You wouldn’t guess,” Robin smiled in amusement, “What matters is the way you express and pronounce it. Don’t get too personal but don’t be too superficial and vague. Rant about the feeling of unproductivity—a lot of people will relate it to themselves.”

“Hm,” Luffy hummed and tried to imagine someone interested in the feelings of a stranger. “I don’t get how that could be interesting.”

“Then I guess you ought to come to the library with me tomorrow.” Robin smiled in excitement Luffy could hardly imagine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who listens to it—I figured that this plot turns very Night Vale-ish, at least the setting does as in location within the canon world.


	5. Spring Breeze

## Chapter 4: Spring Breeze

#### Two men missing; rumours of forest beast real?

On Tuesday a call from local farmer in Pineshaw to the police station stated that two of their workers didn’t come back from hunting in the woods. The two men in their early twenties were said to be reliable and efficient, their sudden disappearance a total mystery to the farmer and his family. “They would never take longer than two hours in the woods. And never came back without quarry,” farmer Thompson says, “We got worried when they didn’t show up for supper. With all the rumours ‘bout the beast, you never know.” Further he stated how unexpectedly strong the men were. “But who knows about the beast.”

We reported on the issue a few weeks back when a group of hikers revealed to us a picture of the so-called beast in the Pineshaw Forest. Their descriptions matched those the locals started this off with about two months ago. The creature of an undefined species is said to be taller than man and broader than a bear. Locals refer to it as ‘the Beast’ due to its fur-covered body and built, and also because of its behaviour. “A while ago some hikers said they saw it walking like a human and carrying various wildlife in its large pranks,” farmer Thompson adds, “No one knows if it attacks humans, too.”

A team of biologists, zoologists and forest rangers are about to arrive this week for investigation. “We hope to discover more of its eating habits and how it interacts with other animals,” says head of the team Rees, “It’s necessary to watch its behaviour first, then we learn how dangerous it really is.” The team is accompanied by medics in case the two missing men would be found.

“They showed up at our gate one day,” farmer wife Thompson says, “Both in miserable states. Like victims of a natural disaster—but there had none been.” In exchange for physical work, the farmer family allowed them to stay with them. “They’re hard-working, one of them helps around the kitchen better than my own husband does!” Nobody would have thought of them disappearing, let alone leave without a warning. “Such kind men, and so young. We hope they’ll be found soon.”

“From what we know, the beast doesn’t seem very interested in humans,” Rees continues, “But no one has ever been close to it—as far as we know.” They would work with the best of the field to uncover the truth behind the mystery, Rees further adds.

  


Pushing the shades back onto his silvery nose, newspaper tight in his hand as he closed his eyes and breathed out relief. What was a mystery to the world, was clear as day to him.

* * *

  


Robin awoke with a start. Cold sweat stuck to her forehead and neck, as the world around her remained the haze it had been that very day. Her breathing was uncontrolled and painful, ribcage rising and falling in a panicky manner. The rushing of the waves crashing, crushing, against the wood deafened her ears, the numbness from the seawater which droplets had felt like a millions needles and pins pressing to her skin—all of it was there again, _or still?_

Slowly the hazy winds around her calmed down and she rested her face against shaky palms. Would it ever stop? the nightmares, their vivid, disastrous, breaking power that would take away hours of sleep from her? After months of having to relive the catastrophe almost every week, she could hardly take it anymore. The memories were hungrily devouring her sanity, chewing off a piece whenever they would slip into her mind during nightly visits. It grew harder to keep both feet on the ground—to be strong and adapt to the life they had been forced into.

For a moment or two, Robin stayed in her position and muffled her tears, forcing them back into her aching chest. The walls of the cheap and small apartment were thin, and with Luffy’s own mind full of worries, he would instantly awake from hearing her cries. She couldn’t have him worrying.

Atop the sideboard the clock pointed a quarter to six, about two hours from the usual time her alarm was set to. There was no returning back to sleep, she had tried that once and twice but experience had taught her that her mind wouldn’t let her rest afterwards. Instead a cup of tea would do, also to help her into the day. It would leave her with enough time to prepare a bigger breakfast for them for once, and they would have more time to sit and eat together before her shift at the library.

Feeling lighter now, more so with every step further away from the bed, Robin tiptoed into the kitchen. Months ago that hadn’t been necessary for her captain’s deep and hard-to-disturb sleep but that had changed the one night Luffy had found her in the aftermath of a nightmare. And with lack of exercise, there wasn’t much to recover from at night, thus his sleep had become lighter.

Even with the door closed, Robin tried to move around as quietly as possible. Her movements had always been gentle and quiet, with her powers it was even easier to keep the volume down. She prepared a herbal tea for herself while planning a nutritious meal for her captain—recalling everything she had learned from watching Sanji. From the small budget she had, she tended to buy more food for Luffy than herself but ended up eating some of his too—he was really fond of sharing. Lately, she had therefore started to try some recipes that would please both their tastes and the whole process had become a task she happily did, and so she settled down at the counter with a content smile on her lips.

“Another nightmare?”

The very sound of his voice made Robin’s mood crumble again.


	6. Summer Thunder

## Chapter 5: Summer Thunder

During one of the usual hunts, on the usual path, with the usual bickering, they made an unusual encounter.

Unusual. But all the more welcoming.

As usual, the hunt was a competition between the two of them that never not ended in a draw. It didn’t matter for the fun and satisfaction it once had offered wouldn’t reach their pride anymore. So they would get the job done as fast as possible in order to get rid of the other and the awkward silence between them.

But the winter made it harder to find wildlife and that very day, it seemed completely gone. The rain had fortunately stopped some time ago but the forest was having a difficult time recovering from it. Patches of grass and moss were drenched in water, the floor of the path was nothing more than cold wet mud. Weren’t they lucky to have been gifted with appropriate clothing?

Not so much the little creature in the soaken moss bed ahead of them. Sitting there, sunken into the soft green covered floor and a head hung low—the very image of loneliness and hopelessness. While the sight was probing at their hearts for sympathy, it also sparked the feeling of familiarity. And the realisation hit them both simultaneously but in such different ways.

“Chopper!” one of them exclaimed, no hesitation to approach the younger mate. He crouched down next to him with his boots sinking into the floor but what did he care—they had been looking for their friends for so long! His voice was showing more emotion than he usually dared to express, the situation was weighing him down. “ _Chopper?_ ”

The little creature turned its head towards the man—exhausted, tired, mute—its state of health obvious on its features. After some moments, its mind reactivated and he finally whispered, “Zoro?”

* * *

  


Luffy halted in his tracks again. “I _don’t_ think they would throw you out for taking one day off. If you’re feeling not well, you shouldn’t force yourself to work.”

Three steps ahead of him, Robin slowed down, too, squeezing the strap of her bag in her fist. “I am not unwell. Would you please get going? My shift is about to start and there’s still some path to walk.”

“Fine,” Luffy groaned and sped up his pace—without glancing at her once—passed her by.

There was thick and heavy silence walking in the space between them, so similar to mist that made it harder to feel the presence of the other person. Conversations like these weren’t rare but had only started recently. Maybe due to the sudden intimacy of having to live in such a small apartment, of having to share so much and having little for themselves. The closeness was new to both of them, Luffy had never been in this kind of situation with a girl before, let alone an older woman. Living on a ship with other people in freedom was quite the contrast to the tiny apartment with only one other person, caught in some routine none of them couldn’t fit into comfortably.

He had seen sides of Robin he had never imagined to bother about. Good ones that had a weird aftertaste, bad ones that blurred the edges of his eyesight whenever he looked at her.

Luffy loved Robin, nonetheless. But their relationship could never be the same again. And that was sometimes inconvenient to know.

Two minutes before the beginning of Robin’s shift, they reached the employee’s entrance to the library. Not a big facility but its assortment enough for their part of town. Luffy had accompanied her before and the staff was very friendly and open-minded, none of them was bothered by his visits through the backdoor. Their greetings were ever so warm and charming that at times he felt bad for not visiting them as often as he had agreed to.

“Hello, Luffy! Long time no see!” A teal-haired girl roughly his age greeted him with a huge smile, taking over the situation that Robin had dropped right after stepping over the threshold. “Are you here to steal our biscuits again?”

She had a way of flattering him. “I wanted to do some research… _what_ do you mean? I didn’t steal ‘em!” He ate all of them—a well-known fact. “You told me I could eat ‘em all and they were so yummy.”

“‘tanks,” she smiled and stuck her tongue out. Her character once more shining too brightly for his eyes to adjust to. “I would’ve brought some if I knew you’d pay us a visit like you said you would— _so many_ times.” The disappointment wrapped in a voice of fake acceptance.

Luffy dropped his shoulders and sat down next to her, whatever it was that made her opinion matter—that made _her_ matter—he couldn’t fight it off. It turned his reactions into a hasty attempt to redo the damage he had inflicted. “I’m sorry, Dera. Really… I’ve been very stuck with writing lately and I didn’t want to hang around here while all of you are working. It was–”

Dera giggled. “Stop it, would ya? Don’t justify yourself—I assumed you had your reasons. And so you had.”

A chuckle spread on Luffy’s face at this, some sort of feeling was warming up his chest and guts. He hoped it didn’t show which it did not but it sounded in his words. “Still—can I make it up to you? We could hang about after your shift maybe and go somewhere to eat or just… do things.”

“We could,” she smiled widely at the verge to a smirk. “...do things.”

Luffy couldn’t prevent the roll of his eyes at the joke, “You jerk! I don’t know what you do or what you wanna do? I didn’t mean it… like that.”

“I know, I know,” Dera laughed. After a short moment of silence filled with a sip of coffee, she made a suggestion: “You heard of that strange find in Hitchwick? I’d like to take a look. Maybe you wanna stick around?”

What a coincidence! “Hell yes!” Luffy called and beamed at her—again she hadn’t disappointed him when it came to their interests.

From afar, Robin watched the scenario with a smile and a stone hanging from her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update is a lot longer than all the earlier chapters hence—and due to my exams/final project—there'll be only one chapter next month. And I would like to add that I'm on twitter now—well, at least as a fanfic writer. I'll be tweeting about chapter updates and all that stuff, so if you're interested just check out or follow **@Hotakun_writes**


	7. Dancing Devil

## Chapter 6: Dancing Devil

The sun was shining through the thick clouds hanging low from the sky. A nice day for a late November day—and there he was picking up on the old man’s saying again. If it wasn’t true though, the last days had been full of rains and storms and it had cost him nights of proper slumber—the weather was turning into a real nemesis for them. 

With the newspaper folded and stuffed into his shirt’s pocket, Franky felt lighthearted for a change. At least the whereabouts of three of his crewmates were clear to him, and their lives as well, along with the rumours of that skeleton that had reached their bay only last week there was enough to be in a better mood. Brook was in a place reachable for him and also Chopper who―according to Franky’s interpretation of the newspaper article—was now reunited with Sanji and Zoro.

A large smile settled onto his lips as he walked over to the edges of the port that had currently become his home and looked up into the huge wooden face. “Only four more left. We’ll get them all home, Sunny.”

* * *

Around 4pm Luffy decided for a break and an early teatime. He couldn’t tell if it was a common thing or just some habit of the library’s staff but from 4.30 to 5.30 most of them would have an afternoon tea—along with the most delicious snacks. It reminded him of the meal time between lunch and dinner but he couldn’t recall if Sanji had followed some sort of cultural tradition since he had only ever eaten without putting any thought into it. Whatever the connection there was, Luffy had only recently accepted this habit as _cultural treasure of the community_ as Robin had once phrased it and was enjoying it as snack time rather than another meal. The entire concept of cultural and communal activities, habits and rules had only just fully spread in his mind. He understood now. 

Upon entering the staff’s break room, Luffy wondered when Dera would end her shift and was surprised to find her waiting for him at the table. Her bag was packed and ready, just like herself, but the mug of tea in front of her wasn’t. There was this warm smile on her lips once she noticed him, growing into full-bloom when he smiled back. 

“You done with research?” she asked, her chin resting on her palm, the other lazily folded around the mug. 

“Kind of—not sure yet if it helped at all,” Luffy sighed, fixed himself a can of soda from the vending machine and settled into the spot beside her. “I’ll have to come again tomorrow.” 

“Well then I’m glad you weren’t successful. What is it you’re researching on?” The way her lips layed around the edge of the mug seemed natural, _ordinary_ but he couldn’t stop staring. 

Luffy caught himself before the fall. “Er… Robin mentioned to me that there were books on different styles of writing and I need some inspiration. Wanna try something new for the competition.” 

“Oh, you gonna participate? Exciting,” Dera grinned, “You have good chances too, most participants only write for the competition and have no practice at all. The HQ only sets it up to get more visitors.” 

“We’ll see.” Luffy felt weird about it and he couldn’t tell why. If Dera was looking forward to read his submission, he had to create something better than before, right? “So, you still wanna go to Hitchwick?” 

“Definitely, I was about to get you after my tea but you must’ve read my mind,” she chuckled—a faint blush adorning her cheeks. So this had two sides, Luffy figured. 

“Seems like it.” Luffy had no control over the grin spreading on his features and honestly—he didn’t want to. 

 

Time could be a mysterious, funny thing. When you experienced it all in slow motion while the sun outside was setting so rapidly that within the blink of an eye, it was pitch black. Winter tended to behave like this, all cold and dark and threatening—the concept of it had slipped from Luffy’s mind completely during the car ride. Sitting on the passenger’s seat next to the girl who was of late having an impression on his mind and listening to her soft voice singing along to a song on the radio he barely knew—why did it make him feel so warm and comfortable, yet thrilled and excited?

They pulled up on a parking lot by a diner that belonged to the family of Gary. During the ride Dera had revealed everything she had found out about ‘the Hitchwick skeleton’ and how she had been wanting to come here but admittedly was too creeped out by it to go on her own. How fortunately for her that Luffy had his very own reasons to investigate on the issue. 

Even though Dera knew where the Hitchwick skeleton was supposed to be buried, it was too dark outside for them to orientate so they decided to ask for directions at the diner—by now the spot to get information on the whole case, including souvenirs. And while Dera was getting them a guide, Luffy was filing through the postcards of poor illustrations. None of them looked like Brook as much as they did, well, a skeleton was only a skeleton after all. 

Some minutes later a rough man lead them past the parking lot to the next farm, each of them equipped with a flashlight. “The sounds have stopped a while ago. I remember like a week after we buried it, we had helpers from the Pineshaw farm over and they wanted to see the skeleton but no one wanted to dig it up again,” the man told tiredly, a long day of work clearly audible. “They asked a lot of questions. About the clothes and what objects we found and if the skeleton had hair—which was odd because we found an afro wig glued to the skull but that didn’t seem like something you’d normally ask.

“Then the real strange thing happened. One of them knelt down and touched the ground where we buried it and he started talking very loudly and suddenly, there was commotion coming from below. Like he triggered an action,” he continued and opened a gate for them. “I would really have them over again to test another reaction but they’re still being missed. I bet you heard of it?” 

“The men missing from the Pineshaw farm? Yes, very unfortunate. There isn’t much hope they’d be found,” Dera grimaced, seemingly spooked by the entire story but also thrilled to the bone. 

They reached the border of the farm grounds and stepped onto an unused area covered with plain dirt. Some feet ahead Luffy detected a small wooden cross planted into the ground, the silvery light from the moon making it show. The sight made him realise how he should have come here with Robin—she would understand his feelings without words, that looking at the makeshift grave of his friend was turning his insides upside down. Well aware that Brook couldn’t die but that didn’t change the horror scenario in his head. 

“That’s the spot,” the man said while pointing at the cross with the flashlight, “I have to get back inside. I trust you to get back on your own.” With that said, he left into the wombs of the farmhouse. 

“This is creepier than I thought. Feels like one of those scenes in a movie before the dumb ones get killed by the evil.” Dera looked around the area, the forest was visible at the horizon behind the plain terrain. 

Luffy couldn’t deny how odd this situation was—not creepy, for he knew what was six feet under. At least he hoped so. “Except that we won’t be the dumb ones,” he grinned and walked closer to the grave. The dirt was moist from the heavy rains of the past weeks, the nightly cold was already covering the first layers of gravel. He set his flashlight aside and knelt down into the dirt, ignoring the mud sticking to his pants and seeping through to his bare skin. Hesitantly he touched his hand to the ground, then spoke loudly on the wide, empty and silent field, “This is totally Robin’s thing—all the creepy and macabre stuff.” 

Dera laughed, “Yes, she’d love it!”

Luffy leaned over and rested his weight onto his arms, now both hands on the ground. Again, he spoke as loudly as he could, “She has a very unique kind of humour. An old friend of mine—Usopp—she loved to spook him with her creepy jokes.” 

And suddenly, the ground started to vibrate. There were muffled noises coming from below, violently, desperately pushing through the massive pile of dirt and gravel to reach the surface. Rumbling, as if someone tried to force a way out, the vibrating ground only grew stronger. That was all the proof he needed. 

“What the heck is happening!” Dera was on the verge of freaking out, yet she couldn’t believe her eyes and ears. 

Not paying attention to her, Luffy started digging. There was no mistaking anymore, this was Brook down there, unable to free himself. Frantically, he pushed the dirt away, working as fast as he could—not efficiently with only his bare hands. The floor was soft but cold and the moistness made it harder to get further through the layers. 

“What are you doing?! Are you crazy?” Dera sounded irritated by his actions and for once, he couldn’t care less about her opinion. “Luffy! What the heck!” 

He ignored her. He needed to focus, he needed to get through to Brook, he needed to save him from this nightmare. And so he pushed and pushed and pushed, adrenaline rushing through his veins in an intensity it hadn’t in months, not since the storm. His hands moved illogically, he couldn’t think straight, was he even making progress? how deep had he been buried? maybe there was nothing after all? no! Brook was there, he reacted towards him, he heard Luffy talk! These thoughts were spiraling inside Luffy’s head and stomach, sweat was pearling on his forehead and neck and his knees sunk lower into the ground. He felt losing himself inside the moment—blanking out the surroundings. 

Until something blocked his vision, an object held right before his face forcing him to stop in his tracks. It took Luffy a few seconds to realise that it was a shovel and Dera, offering it to him. “You’ll be getting nowhere like that,” she announced, holding another shovel and moved to dig up the mud. 

Startled, for a moment dazzled, Luffy’s face lit up—as it had used to before the storm. Not wasting any more time, he straightened up and joined Dera. Indeed, they were making progress very quickly, at least faster than before. Only the moonlight and the beams from the flashlights guided them—shielded from sight by the darkness engulfing them. Drawing attention from the farmer was the last thing on Luffy’s mind. 

After felt eternities they broke through the last layer or so it seemed, when suddenly a bony hand pushed through the blanket of dirt. Dera shrieked and jumped out of the hole they had dug but didn’t run away. Luffy threw his shovel out of the hole, leaned over and pushed some more dirt out of the way until the hand was able to move and Luffy could grab it properly. With all his might, he pulled the body attached to it up through the gravel—bringing to the surface a face he had been dying to see. 

“Brook!” he cried out and hugged the older man out of relief. 

Now able to sit up, Brook was paralysed by the sudden freedom. All these nights and days underground with only worry and fear on his mind, despair fading into hopelessness and eventually into silence. And now, now he was free—freed again by his captain. 

“I’m so sorry! I only found out about you yesterday—if I had known, I would’ve gotten here earlier!” Luffy rambled, letting go of the slim torso to look into his mate’s face. 

“Luffy‒san…” His voice hoarse as his feelings that were slowly coming back to life. He couldn’t believe his eyes. 

“Yes, it’s me. I’m taking you home now… well, to Robin and me. You’re safe now,” Luffy grinned at him and rose up, working to free Brook off the rest of the dirt. 

 

By the time they were back in Dera’s car, the grave had been restored to its usual appearance. Since no one would ever dig it up again, no one would ever find out about the missing skeleton. It worked out, somehow, Luffy hadn’t really planned it out. He would have—had Robin agreed to look for Brook together. She would’ve come up with a better plan for sure instead of acting on impulse. Well, old habits die hard. 

Some miles of silence later, Luffy finally realised that Dera had been with him all the time and what it _meant_. She was no part of their crew, she didn’t know who they really were and what must she be thinking? They had just dug up a living skeleton that was half-lying, half-sitting, somehow trying to fit into the back of the rather small car. And still she didn’t question him. 

“I’m… I owe you something,” Luffy broke the silence, unintentionally rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Yes, an explanation,” Dera replied with her eyes focused on the poorly lit road before them, “And a meal to tell it.”

Luffy opened his mouth to say something then noticed the smile on her lips—and the small blush accompanying it. “I do. And thanks.” 

“You’re welcome. I’m glad I could be of help and I got my fair share as well,” Dera beamed, then looked at Brook through the back mirror, “Hi, I’m Dera, by the way.” 

“What a nice name, Dera, I am Brook.” No joke, no laughter attached. It would take him a while to find his typical self again. 

“So you’re a friend of Luffy? Or family?” 

Luffy gestured with his hand, “Kind of both.” 

“I see,” Dera smiled at Brook again, “I’m really glad we could help you—out.” 

“The gratitude is mine,” Brook countered delightfully. 

 

It was past 8 when they pulled up before Luffy’s housing estate. The drive had been easy and comfortable, they had talked about the competition and what type of story Luffy should submit—all the while Brook had silently watched them. 

When it was time to separate, Luffy climbed out of the car first to help Brook out—had he always been this tall?—until Dera had to help as well. Once the tall man was standing outside the car, Luffy turned back to Dera who was waiting for a proper goodnight. There it happened again—his eyes were fixed on her face that seemed so familiar by now. 

“So, I see you tomorrow, I guess?” she carefully asked, tugging a strand behind her ear. 

“Yes—and thanks again for helping. I really owe you something,” Luffy repeated and stepped a little closer to her, “Maybe we can go out for lunch tomorrow?” 

“Sounds good to me,” Dera chuckled, “But you should take care of your friend now. Good night.” And with that said, she leaned in and pecked his cheek. 

After watching her drive off with his hand touching the wet spot on his cheek, Luffy turned towards Brook and lead him through the maze of buildings to his’. The grounds were empty and silent, the night too harsh and cold that no one would be outside which was good for them. Luffy wasn’t smart enough to think up an explanation for the man walking next to him who looked identical to the tales of the Hitchwick skeleton. Not encountering anyone on their way to the apartment was very convenient. 

Once they reached the front door, Luffy pulled the key from his pants’ pocket and grinned widely at Brook—he still was trying to wrap his mind around it—not paying too much attention to what was awaiting him behind the door. 

“So you found your way back home.” 

Robin was still in her day clothes as she stood in the small hall between kitchen and living-room. Worry and redness were visible underneath her eyes, shadowing her beautiful face. “I know I shouldn’t interfere with your private life and it’s not my business what you do with whom in your spare time–”

“Robin.” Luffy was standing in front of Brook who was still inside the dark stairwell. 

“–I don’t mind that you’re spending time with someone else, really, I–”

“Robin.”

“–but it would be nice if you could at least tell me when you go somewhere and not just leave. Okay? Do you know what it felt like when I couldn’t find you and no one knew where you were? I couldn’t…” she wiped new tears from her eyes, her earlier frustration over his misbehaviour vanishing from her mind. The last few hours were holding her in another tight grip again and she lost control of her emotions. 

When she covered her face in her palms, Luffy understood that it was important for Robin to express her anger and worry. He _had_ messed up and the guilt took him over in an instant. “I’m really sorry…” Rushing to her, he made room for Brook to enter the apartment and close the door behind them. “You’re right—I should’ve told you, I’m really sorry,” Luffy apologised and pulled her into a hug as best as he could, “But I’m here now—I would always come back.” 

Robin clung onto him, too caught up in her emotional chaos to notice the other person watching them with a worrying frown. “I just don’t know what I would do if I lost you… I’m sorry about my mood earlier—I don’t like fighting with you.” 

“I know and it’s okay, don’t worry anymore, okay?” Luffy let go of her a little and smiled, “There’s something I need to show you.” 

He hadn’t even stepped back when Robin was already over at Brook and—atypically for her—flung her arms around him. From his spot, Luffy watched them exchanging words of affection and touches of relief—a sight he would never see again, not with those two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On hiatus from now on—there'll only be one new work posted next week but that's it till mid of March. Next chapter has some LuNa ;)


	8. Haboob

## Chapter 7: Haboob

Hand in hand, they stepped out of the café and halted at the corner, their ways separating. Luffy couldn’t believe his luck—their _date_ had been perfect and holding hands was very nice, who would’ve thought that? 

Now standing outside they needed to say their goodbyes and he didn’t know what to do. Should they kiss? Was that what you do? Did he even want to? Before he could catch one of the many thoughts running wild in his mind, he felt soft and warm lips on his cheek. Petrified by the kiss, he could only wave after her with a goofy smile on his face. 

“That’s what you do when you’re alone.” 

Luffy stiffened, eyes wide open. This voice… could this be? 

“You get separated from us and immediately caught in some girl’s clutch,” the soft but high voice said, apparently approaching him from behind. “Who would have thought you would get involved like that.” 

Warm breath touched his ear, hands wrapped around his biceps and squeezed him—affectionately? A body was pressed against his back, _obviously_ a female and also someone he knew too well. She sneaked her arms under his armpits and hugged his chest while her wet lips traced an imaginary line over his bare neck. 

“N-Nami,” he pressed through his lips, _something_ was definitely wrong here. 

“You remember me, that’s good…” Her voice was _so_ different from the usual tone—he only ever heard her talk that way when she was trying to manipulate someone by _flirting_. What the hell was going on? 

No matter what was going on—Luffy was starting to react to it. An intense sensation rippled from his guts through his entire body whenever her lips brushed over his skin. It felt similar to his feelings towards Dera but so much more and _so much_ and also so nostalgic. How could he be familiar with this feeling, let alone this reaction—with _Nami_?

What if he was mistaking? Forcing some control into his limbs, Luffy turned inside her hold to verify her identity and—looked straight into those clear brown eyes he had been missing _so much_. “Nami… it’s… it’s really you…” 

She cocked her head to the side, “Of course it is, idiot, who else would it be?”

“I… I just wasn’t expecting you…,” he sighed and finally hugged her back. Her unique scent of oranges, flowers, faint ink and seabreeze was infiltrating his senses again. This was definitely his Nami. “I missed you…” 

“Duh, so much you get yourself another girl?” She tilted her head away when he tried to nuzzle his face into her hair and loosened their embrace a bit. 

“What? I… no!” Luffy didn’t understand. What other girl? What other feelings? There had only ever been this one feeling… and it was connected to Nami? “I would never replace you!” 

She giggled, “I know, silly. You couldn’t if you wanted…” And then she leaned into him, her perfect nose brushing his, her perfect body pressed against his, her perfect lips touching his…

* * *

Luffy sat up straight in his bed, heavily panting. _What?!_ His mind was too caught up with the events of his dream to understand whatever had just happened that was still clinging to his physical form. The touches were still on his skin, he could still feel her so close, so indescribably close and warm. What influence it had on him and his body and mind—clinging to him like the sheet of sweat covering his skin. 

_What_ had just happened? What _was_ happening? 

A touch to his shoulder made him jump a tad and he hit his head on the wall. Terrified he looked at the cause for the startle—convinced it was still part of his dream—and found a face he hadn’t expected. With relief pulling him back into reality, he swallowed and then panted, “It’s just you, Brook…”

Of course. Now with one more of them, they had decided to give Robin the single bedroom and have Brook and him occupy the living-room. His dream must’ve sounded loudly in the real world to wake up the older man and worry him. How much had he heard? 

“Are you alright, Luffy‒san?” There wasn’t just plain worry in his words but Luffy was still too dazed to notice what else. 

“Yes… I just… had some weird dream…” He felt so strange, his entire body was still brimming with emotion and something felt very, very uncomfortable. 

“Of that girl Dera, I suppose?” 

“Who—what?” Luffy frowned at him in irritation until Brook’s look pointed towards his crotch not very well hidden under the blankets. So that was the source of discomfort. “No, not Dera… I… er…” 

Brook held up his hand to silence him, “You don’t have to explain yourself, a man’s special dreams may remain his secret.” 

_Good_. Because _that_ could have been awkward. 

“You should perhaps consider a cold shower though—you may not want to meet Robin‒san with this, yoho,” Brook added with a little amusement in his voice. 

 

It was hours later when Luffy finally lost all mental connections to his dream. Or nightmare? He wasn’t so sure or what at all it could mean—or _should_ mean—the cold shower had washed off most of the irritating remainders of the incident. Recoil could not be ruled out, however.

Around eight they sat together at the small table for a cup of tea and some breakfast. Robin seemed happier than usual as she set the table for them with almost every piece of food they owned—for celebrating, treating Brook or impressing him, Luffy couldn’t tell. Yesterday’s drama vanished from her mind as it seemed and Brook’s presence only added up to it, according to the smile spreading over her face whenever he spoke or came into her vision. Luffy made sure to memorise these moments for future occasions. 

“It’s strange, you know—Dera and that farmer mentioned some guys missing in… er, I don’t remember but those guys were interested in Brook as well,” Luffy said after a content pause between them. “They knew about his afro.”

Robin blinked at him, curiosity started to glisten in her eyes. “Only one of us could know. All the people we have met so far don’t seem to have any clue at all about _any_ thing outside the island.”

“I remember,” Brook interjected with a thoughtful frown, “One day I thought I heard a familiar voice—although muffled—somehow I am convinced that it was Zoro‒san.”

Now all of them frowning—taking the idea into consideration—they fell into silence again, obviously going through their own but also similar train of thought. If Brook’s assumption was true, they at least knew about Zoro’s vitality however finding someone with no sense of orientation could become a real problem. Maybe he would come back for Brook, though?

“We had this conversation at work recently—about the men missing from the Pineshaw Farm. Two men in their late teens were reported missing by a local after they didn’t come back from a hunt in the forest,” Robin recalled the article one of her co-workers had read to them. “I didn’t find any connections there. But if those people the farmer mentioned are the same as in the article, then…”

“...that could be Zoro and Sanji— _or_ Usopp,” Luffy concluded with widening eyes. “How do we get to Pineshaw?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did notice earlier today that I'm nine chapters ahead with this fanfiction so I guess I can post another in two weeks. :)


	9. Squall

## Chapter 8: Squall

Some days were even tougher than others. When the laundry was piling up, when the toys scattered all over the stairs, when puberty was back for a visit to the oldest of the three girls. And when the nights were full of horrible memories and painful longing again— _how much longer?_

On the toughest of days, she found an answer to the question: No more. She could simply run away—with some treasures—and try to make it on her own. There was practice in that idea, she had been caring for herself before and knew how to survive _anywhere_. Life had prepared her very intensely for such unfavourable situations. 

But it hadn’t prepared her for this one. How could she leave—and rob—the family that had taken her in after the stormy sea had washed her ashore? Those kind people who had treated her injuries and even after recovery allowed her to stay? 

And it _was_ convenient, most of the times. Living off the earnings of a rich family could really make up for the three daughters she had to care for—if they wouldn’t treat her this humiliatingly. Along with the lack of contact to her friends or any information about their whereabouts whatsoever, she was about to reach her limits. How much longer would she have to endure it all?

Well, maybe, she thought one day running another errand, again passing by the travelling circus currently performing in the city—a sudden urge made her halt in her tracks at the circus’ entrance.

_Maybe_ someone would carry her away.  


* * *

  
“I wonder when they would finally stop looking for us.” Two days of wandering around the forest were close to the borders of his patience. All of them were hungry, soaked through and tired—however not as much as Chopper—and he was in dear need of a smoke. “Unless they’re not looking for us.”

A grumble of agreement sounded from the other man, “They won’t stop until they got their monster.” 

“There’re quite some stories going around about you, what the hell have you done to scare people like that?” Sanji tried to sound amused, with low spirits inside himself though, how could he cheer up the drained out reindeer that powerlessly hung over Zoro’s shoulders?

“I freaked out… when someone wanted to shoot a lynx. She had just given birth and I… offered to look for food when someone approached her with a gun,” Chopper explained in a thin and weak voice, occasionally interrupted by coughs. Exhaustion was violently pulling at his consciousness but he was too scared to give in—what if he woke up and Zoro and Sanji had only been an illusion?

Zoro couldn’t hide a chuckle, “You really scared the shit out of them. You’ve become like a legend.” 

“Making yourself a name already,” Sanji added, “People make up worse stories than Usopp’s. You’re all over the newspapers and radio programmes—maybe one of the others hears about you.”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” Zoro agreed again, not even minding. At some point the cook’s presence had turned from a nuisance to a pleasant attribution. Gradually, it was even shining through his behaviour towards the other man. “Any plans though? We can’t keep walking around in circles forever.”

“Glad you finally came to the same conclusion,” Sanji huffed after having said the same several times during the past forty-eight hours, “But I guess you’re used to running in circles. Old habits die hard, huh?”

“Would you shut it? We really need to come up with a plan.” Agitated by the stupid cook’s mocking, Zoro adjusted Chopper’s position on his back a little too roughly and forced a groan of pain from the younger teen. “Sorry, Chopper—you okay?”

Chopper nodded into the man’s neck, the pain in his limbs slowly subsiding. After another coughing fit, he croaked, “We’re close to the other side of the forest… the coast should be there… I can smell a salty seabreeze, I think.”

“Well, then off to the coast,” Zoro decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm done with my final project at art school – only the presentation of it left, so I'm back from the hiatus and have _a lot_ planned! Not just for Zyklon ;)


	10. Cloudburst

## Chapter 9: Cloudburst

The first encounter was a man of undefined age but obvious lack of hygiene. And perhaps she was quick with assuming his position within the circus wasn’t as elegant as its reputation would suggest. It could have been a warning to her not to jump on that hasty idea of getting away but to calm her guilt-tripping heart—she would bid a proper farewell to her host family. 

“Say, you got anything to do for a skilled and pretty girl like me?” She flashed her most manipulative smile supported by gestures of innocent interest. Due to the harsh winter temperatures, her outfit was no help to her flirtatious behaviour.

Apparently annoyed by having been addressed, the man dropped the shabby newspaper and examined her from centre to head to feet. _Obviously_ liking what he saw, he groaned with a dirty grin, “I’ll find something.”

 _Too much_. “Great. Is someone around who is in charge? You know, to negotiate a contract,” she asked sweetly—hopefully it would get her rid of that filthy man and bring her someone of higher class. 

All hungry interest now falling off his features, the man yelled over his shoulder, “Get your scrawny ass here, Astonisher.”

Behind him the door of the trailer opened to let out a disembodied voice first, “At least add a ‘please’.” Following emerged a man in a rather casual outfit for a circus performer and quite the opposite from the greasy man. Once he had stepped down to ground level and turned towards them, Nami felt her heart skip a beat or two.

_Usopp?_

* * *

  


Some mistakes are ought to be done in order to progress. Sometimes the loss is not taking something from you as much as it is gifting you. And sometimes… You just make a mistake. Too many times.

With that aspect, Luffy knew he deserved the sour look Dera directed at him. He had promised to stop by more often, he had promised to explain certain things to her and yet—it was two days later that he happened to cross paths with her on his stroll through town. All of the images from that damned dream had flashed up before his mental eyes again but Luffy didn’t know why. 

Hence his reactions had been too slow and by the time he had realised it, Dera was almost out of sight—hadn’t he run after her. 

“Dera, wait!” And it made her halt, if only with that sour look on her face. 

They looked at each other in silence for a moment and Luffy could be mistaken but her expression softened with every second passed. “I deserve whatever you wanna call me—I am _sorry_ but that’s prolly not enough anymore,” Luffy apologised, “There was a lot we had to discuss and arrange the past days with Brook and what we found out and—doesn’t matter, I should’ve called you or come over like I promised I would.”

“I am delighted to hear you think that way,” she said in a voice that couldn’t have sounded less like the familiar tone he preferred. “One could think a simple note on a paper should be easy but then there’s always someone to teach you better.”

That harsh comment was indeed shocking but again—he knew he deserved it. “I… yes, I messed up big time. Listen—we don’t have to meet up again or talk to each other again but I want to give you that explanation I owe you if you want.” 

And suddenly, there was her typical grin again. _That_ expression he knew too well—from her, yet not from her—this look saying she had him caught exactly where she wanted him, that she had been playing with him and naturally won. So manipulating and calculating—traits Luffy had always connected to…

 _Nami_. His guts were churning again. 

“I’m certain you do. Maybe I should come over to your place later?” Dera’s now softer voice demanded his attention but he could only give so little. 

He felt sick. And warm. And fuzzy. And dizzy from the dream that crept out of its dark hidden spot inside his mind, something _needed_ to envision it again—and what more there could happen.

“I take that as a yes.” Dera rolled her eyes with a smile on her lips that a second later touched his cheek. “I see you later.”

While the teal-haired girl vanished from his sight, the memory of a ginger-haired girl grew more and more intense and the image blinded him almost, as if sunlight had taken his vision. As mesmerised as he stood there, right in the middle of the pavement, an idea formed in his brain. 

And the realisation hit him like a cloudburst.


	11. Clear Slot

## Chapter 10: Clear Slot

With the sun shining brightly for a change, Franky reached the borders of the forest to stock up their wood storage. How much he enjoyed driving up to the large terrain stretching all the twenty-five kilometres to Pineshaw. Nature there was in a remarkable condition and so the trees were, he had already used some of them for reparations on the furniture onboard the Sunny. Located on a cliff, the view from the outskirts of the forest were fantastic—there were no other words in his vocabulary to describe it better. 

After having carried the wood harvest to the truck and loading it up, he decided for a break. Close to the edge of the cliff, a group of rocks were lined up in a strange formation—and once he had asked the old man whether it was or ever had been some kind of cult place but no one had ever minded to find it out. So he had turned it into _his_ place for breaks after cutting the trees. 

Still with the axe in hand and some bottles of cola in the other—some random melody on his lips—Franky approached the rock formation. And a group of three, already sitting by the rocks.

* * *

Sanji sighed in relief and stretched his back. Finally, after almost three days of mindless wandering around the forest, they had found an exit—without drawing attention from the exploration team. They weren’t out of danger and judging from the fading ability to hold himself up, Chopper’s miserable state worsened their situation. 

“There’s really nothing to eat?” Zoro crouched down to be on eye level with Chopper whom he had sat on one of the rocks. When had been the last time someone worried him so much his own appetite was gone?

“No—I guess all the animals are asleep. It’s winter here,” Sanji repeated and had no energy left to mock the other man, “But maybe we could fish for food. You stay with Chopper and I’ll try to get us some fish.”

“‘kay,” Zoro nodded with hope growing inside him. They would find a way to survive, there was no doubt for him anyway. Even Chopper would get through, someone as strong-minded and robust wouldn’t give up so easily—not that Zoro would allow it to happen. “Don’t drown or get eaten by a sea monster.”

“Well, thanks for your concern, moss-for-brai-,” Sanji intended to counter when a sudden shriek of horror interrupted him. Instantly, he noticed it too—the shadow hovering over them that caused Chopper’s panicked face. 

Inside the following moment the world seemed to have frozen, as much as all three of them who either were too exhausted or too freaked out to react. What caused time to flow again was the voice that broke the silence, “Good to see you two haven’t changed.”

The familiarity caught them off guard—the voice, the words—surprise had them firmly in its grip and their minds weren’t able to function properly. Only when the youngest of them finally recognised the smell—too dizzy for a clear vision—the world started to make sense again. 

“Franky…” Chopper sniffed, too dehydrated to cry. 

“Shit…” Sanji slumped down on the ground almost simultaneously to Zoro, the intensity of feeling relief rushing over them pushed them down. 

A frown settled onto the shipwright’s face, “You guys look wrecked.” 

“We are,” Zoro said hoarsely, “Been walking in the forest for two days without food. Chopper was like this when we found him.”

“I see.” There were no words to describe the sight of their ship doctor and Franky had never wanted to have gained that memory. “Well, you should hold on a little longer. I’ll take you guys home.” 

At least the whereabouts of three of his crewmates were now clear as day to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who also reads _On a Different Course_ : No update this time, next chapter is scheduled for late April.   
> And to anyone who reads _The Flower in the Meadow_ : There's going to be an update during this month and also twice a month updates from May on.  
> I'm currently rearranging a lot of fundamental things in my life so there's little time for creativity and all I got are _Zyklon_ chapters until way into May. Please have a little patience!


	12. Cloudy

## Chapter 11: Cloudy

It had almost slipped from her lips—his name she couldn’t believe to have on her mind—but the expression on his face forced her to stay silent. That air of total superiority she had never seen with him, not in this intensity. With every step he took closer to her it seemed to waver off him and she started to doubt so much that it was Usopp—however his looks were undoubtedly him. 

How could this be? They had only been apart for how long? Six months? How had he become someone _so full_ of himself? There was agitation and even irritation in each line of his features directed at _her_ , and she wondered even more if this was really her Usopp. The surprise in his eyes only mere seconds ago—had it really just been her own projection? 

Once he had reached them, the greasy man from earlier grunted with a look in his eyes she didn’t want to identify, “This chit wants to join. You get some use of her?”

Immediately she shot a glare towards the man and prepared to counter back with some witty remark but felt her motivation fading out before her mind formed the right words. Strange enough that it had happened to her several times before, only more times than she liked to count in this very week. As if the oceans had polished her character smooth like sea glass. Almost all of the pointy edges of herself were gone.

Perhaps-Usopp examined her with a frown, the agitation no paler. “We could use someone to hand out discount flyers in this city.”

“Wha– no, sir, I want to join and travel along with you,” she awkwardly smiled, the last of the pointy edges itching her to protest but she would rather play along. Whatever it was that made perhaps-Usopp treat her this rudely, she would not find out within the peripheral view of that greasy pervert still part of their encounter.

The frown on his forehead grew while his voice softened, “Fine. Let’s have a talk in private.”

  


* * *

  


Even with the reindeer and the cook asleep in the back, now safe from danger, Zoro couldn’t feel the same calmness as them to relax. Relief had settled down in the pit of his stomach but all it caused was his hunger to take over. He felt unsettled, not completely inside this situation and his empty belly only made it harder. Noticing Franky’s glances in the corner of his eye didn’t help either.

Franky had a few questions up his sleeve but had no mind to load them onto Zoro now. There would be a time for a talk once his crewmates had rested enough. More than just his questions would have to be answered but that was for later, and he had the patience to wait. 

At arrival Zoro was fast asleep as well. Franky considered carrying all three of them over to the ship but figured cautiousness was necessary with the health status of the youngest one. The shuffling around to entangle Chopper from Sanji’s hold woke up the cook who at first increased his grip, then upon realisation offered to carry the young doctor while Franky took care of Zoro. 

“Sunny… she’s safe…” Sanji couldn’t believe his eyes—after all that had happened, after the storm, the waves crashing against the ship and their lives, after the separation, after this awful nightmare—the Sunny was safe. 

Franky grinned proudly, “I found her some kilometres from here washed ashore. She took some damage but nothing big.”

If he had the physical option to, Sanji would hold his sentimentality but no tears would even fill his eyes. Merely a sniff escaped him, the utmost of emotion he could feel in his current state—there wasn’t even energy for embarrassment. 

With a small smile Franky rested a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “We’ll get them all back—safe and sound.”

“I know.”


	13. Nightfall

## Chapter 12: Nightfall

When the door of the trailer fell shut, she felt her tension implode inside her chest. What a strange situation she’d gotten herself into, and it was in the hands of the other to decide its outcome. Her heart was beating fast while her face was blank and her posture confident, just in case, just _if_ this wasn’t the person she thought and hoped it was. 

She watched him carefully locking the door, glimpsing through the curtain in the direction of the greasy old pervert before a heavy sigh sounded from his throat. “You really talked to the last person on these grounds you should talk to,” he grumbled, falling back into the cushions of the couch and started massaging his temple. 

“That’s how you treat me after all that’s happened!” she yelled and stepped closer to him, already in the motion of a punch. 

“Keep it down!” Usopp hissed, halting her just in time. “I’m sorry for what I’ve said. But I need to maintain a reputation here—especially with _that_ guy. He didn’t touch you, did he?”

“No, he only looked at me which was enough already.” Calmed down now, she dared to sit down next to her crewmate, “What kind of reputation?”

A grin spread on his face, not purely made of pride but tainted with burden. “I’m the head of this circus, so to say.”

“You’re WHAT?” 

“ _Nami_! What have I told you!” His hand was quick to cover her mouth to silence her. 

And hers were quick to get rid of his hand. “You’re the leader? _How_?”

“Some of the backstage people found me on the shore and took me in. And then I needed to come up with an identity—long story short, I lied myself all the way to the top.” 

“What do you mean, long story short? You—this is amazing! We can travel the island and find the others!” Nami was so into the idea and the hope it fed to every cell of her body that she didn’t let go of Usopp’s hand. 

However when his expression darkened, she let loose of it. “The circus stationed at every area of this country… I’ve almost been to every corner of this island—with no hint of anyone else.”

Along with his hand, Nami let the last bit of hope slip out of her grip.  


* * *

  
While continuing his tasks, Franky kept an eye on his crewmates. With the small space the old man owned, there was no room for all four of them and so they had moved back to the Sunny. In company now it was easier to linger around on deck, although all three of them were asleep. But Franky knew where they were. 

The old man didn’t mind nor did he ask any more questions beyond the necessary—would they make it?—and so Franky continued his day as usual. Every once in a while in between woodcutting and helping the old man, he took a break to check up on his mates, mostly to ensure Chopper’s vitality. 

Around dinner time he met Sanji on his way to the infirmary, obviously trying to follow his own chores. But there were none to be found. While the ship itself had been mostly intact, anything that could break and hadn’t been already lost in the waves had broken, so had all the dishes and plates. Gone was all the cutlery, each and every cup—either swallowed up by the sea or its shards thrown away by Franky.

Shattered the young man stood inside the kitchen he had been tending to so passionately, his space among the crew—his personal paradise on the ship—and everything that had used to fill the wombs of the cabinets and counters with use, with function and even with a purpose—it all was gone. And worse was the ringing in his ears—without it he would gather the strength to fill the galley with content again—but this ringing, the very echoe of his captain’s demands for food—how would he ever again catch a breath within these walls? 

Sensing the kind of mood taking over his crewmate, Franky only remained by the threshold to catch a glimpse of Chopper’s rising and falling ribcage, then walked over to the blond cook. He wasn’t good with these situations, he found, he tried to be as empathetic as he could but usually he only came up with the worst of words. And still, his friend needed any sound of support. 

“Don’t hang your head low—we’ll find the others,” Franky reassured him, convinced enough for himself but that was as all he could master.

Sanji nodded, mute and blank, silent and pale. They would—he _tried_ to believe Franky’s words and the ghost of himself who had drowned in the ocean knew they would make it. 

But it was so much harder to make it possible than any other time. And when nightfall came, he felt the very same darkness blurring his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will be different after this one! The second half of the plot will commence in two chapters! ;3


	14. underwater

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It would make things greater if **skin formatting was enabled** for this chapter!

**underwater**

Immobilised by the growing darkness he was sinking into. The light above, breaking through the surface so effortlessly, why couldn’t he be this _light_?  
Instead of sinking and sinking like a stone that someone had dropped good riddance. There was nothing he could do to change his state of being, the position he was floating in. All of his limbs, all of his features and muscles were as still as the sea swallowing him. 

It was so calm. Dead silent. No sound, not even the faintest of humming could be heard.  
It was so quiet. And empty and lifeless. Was there only him? 

And still, inside him his heart was beating too fast. His survival instincts were thrashing in his chest, pushing and pounding against him. They demanded actions of him, they demanded survival—but what shall he do?  
He couldn’t move. Motionless he was left to fall into the depths of the darkest of all worlds. All alone. 

And all that separated his vivid emotions from the lifeless void were walls of blood, bones and flesh that seemed to burst from the war inside but wouldn’t even twitch on the outside.

How longer would he be? How longer would he hold on? _How longer did he want to_?  
Had he another option than to drown, had he another option than to die? Dissolve in the ocean he had once so loved?

The aching of his lungs grew unbearable until the pain stopped and he barely had a second before the last of oxygen would diffuse into the water along with a final thought: 

_What if I learned to breathe underwater?_


	15. Stable Air

## Chapter 13: Stable Air 

“I’m done!” He pulled the last page out of the typewriter and onto the stack of face-down pages, with all of them in his eager hands he left for the kitchen. 

“Good. And while I’m reading through it, you can go out and grab the groceries.”

* * *

And that was how Luffy had ended up in the local mall, grimacing at the long list of products he was supposed to buy. No matter how many times in the last months Robin had made him do the grocery shopping, he simply couldn’t find the _ingredients_ to like it. Or enjoy it—once he had spent some time and assumed leftover money on a burger in the food court—to have no more money left on half of the needed products and most of the shops closed. 

He had no experience with money, calculating _or_ shopping at all. _But_ instead of complaining—only once!—and refusing he understood that Robin couldn’t do all of the things needed to maintain their basic lifestyle. Particularly not on days with extra hours or a second shift, she was working so hard and so much for them _and_ mostly for him that Luffy tried hard and so much to give something back by being useful. 

Only did it take him far too long to learn. And so Robin had started to calculate the budget for him—including a treat for him—wrote a detailed list of all necessary and desired products, their exact price and name, place to be found and when that certain place would be closed. So far, Luffy had only failed it twice by buying the wrong products or rather the wrong and more expensive brands and had taken the money from his treat budget. It was fine. So much that once he had used it all to buy something for Robin—a box of high-class chocolates—and intended to do so again. 

At some point it had become second nature to live the life they had. It had become so casual and normal to them as much as it was none of it at all. Luffy had once read a children’s book in the library about fish growing legs and eventually becoming human and he could _relate so well_. Weren’t they the same? Robin and he, since Brook was still Brook and uncomfortably trying to fit into their new and current situation. And while Brook was still a fish flapping instinctively on land, Robin and he had grown themselves some legs and tried to keep Brook covered with enough water. It made him wonder—had the others grown legs too?

The sound of a box being dropped cut through his daze. Oh yeah, spacing out in public had become second nature to him as well—sometimes he was too bored out by buying the very same things in the very same shops over and over again that he let himself float inside his head. It _could_ be that this lack of attention had an impact on his mission to buy groceries but he would never admit that to Robin. 

Yet, he couldn’t help but think how strange it was to be standing in a shop and wondering what toothpaste he wanted to have—tasteless and gross, mint and gross—when such things had never been of his concern. Onboard the Sunny he had never had to deal with any of it, there had always been Sanji’s soap and Usopp’s toothpaste and someone always brought toothbrushes for him. There had been a someone for every necessity and he had never had to worry about anything—and now he had. 

The end of the carefree part of his life. Or as they were saying here: Growing up.

By the time the sun was set, Luffy left the mall with a bag full of success and groceries and a half-empty stomach. It was around five o’clock in the afternoon and the streets were emptying while the post lamps were shining brightly. Last night’s snow was still coating roofs in a white glow, most of it had melted away already. The temperatures were running wild and although it was very unusual for this island, barely anyone seemed bothered. Luffy was—would he love some snow piling up on the streets and maybe have a snowball fight with the boys but the snow never stayed for long. 

He was glad though that they had gotten Brook out of the ground before Winter had arrived. In the same sentiment, he hoped dearly that the rest of his friends were safe from the harsh nights of December. Somewhere, wherever that would be. 

“I’m home!” he announced barely inside the apartment and brushed off his boots. 

“Welcome back, Luffy–san,” Brook greeted him with a cup of steaming something in his boney fingers, “Were you successful?” 

“Yeah! I got everything!” Luffy beamed and passed him by to enter the kitchen and store away some of the groceries. 

“Also the organiser I asked you to get?” Robin’s voice caught him off-guard. 

After searching for the said item in his memories and the shopping bag, he turned around in slight panic, “No… I went through the list several times and walked the same route you told me to and I– _wait_.” 

A mischievous grin curved Robin’s lips, her eyes glistening with amusement as she leaned against the doorframe casually. “You never wanted me to buy one,” Luffy concluded, “You jerk! You got me there for a moment…”

“I guess so,” Robin smirked, not minding to be called _a jerk_ if it came from her captain, “Did you treat yourself appropriately?” 

Luffy sighed, shelving cartons of cereals and packs of rice, “No. I had a cheap excuse for a hotdog but s’all.” 

“But your budget was enough, wasn’t it?” Robin frowned, immediately wondering if she had miscalculated it. 

“Yes—but that candy shop had a discount on chocolates so I brought you both some,” Luffy smiled widely and handed them both a box. They were only little taller than his hand but obviously very expensive and of the highest quality. And while that made Brook and Robin happy in their very individual ways, Luffy didn’t feel that much accomplished. It was Robin’s money he had spent after all and so it was only a gift to Brook who—no offense, just honesty—didn’t deserve it at all compared to Robin’s efforts. 

With all kitchen groceries stored inside the cabinets and fridge, Luffy grabbed the bag from the counter to proceed to the bathroom when Robin blocked his way. She was smiling full of painful happiness that Luffy had seen often during the past week, and while he was lost in her expression she reached for his scarred cheek and pinched it as gently and affectionately as the touch allowed. “Don’t waste your money like that, now I have to cook even more to fill your pitfall for a stomach.” 

“Hey, I don’t eat that much anymore!” Luffy defended himself as the amusement covered every part of his face and he couldn’t withhold his laughter any longer. A joking, teasing Robin was a happy Robin. 

She shook her head in mockery and let him pass through so she could settle at the counter and start cooking. Luckily the kitchen was so tiny no one else would fit in while she was cooking so no one would see the blush to her cheekbones. The gratitude and joy over Luffy’s constant gifts—no matter if actual objects or social interactions—let her feel a kind of fundamental and pure happiness her mental construct wasn’t able to contain. And then she would blush and smile goofily—of course hidden from anyone’s eyes.

Later that day, with filled stomachs and minds and their bodies ready to sleep, Luffy heard Brook somewhere in the dark living-room say, “Thank you for the gift, Luffy–san. And for making Robin–san smile.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There'll be more screen time of the others from now on! It's basically halfway through the plot now :3 Thanks so much to everyone who's still sticking around <3


	16. Blocking High

## Chapter 14: Blocking High

It had taken some time for them to recover but after a week Zoro and Sanji had already gotten into several fights with each other. Despite the unpleasant, ear-splitting noise it caused, Chopper enjoyed the familiar sight no matter how much he had used to dread it. He did like Zoro sitting by the side of his bed like he needed to be watched over while eating his recovery broth but it was starting to make him feel weird. Being pampered was nice when there was a reason and while his state of health had been a problematic one, he was well enough again to think straight and be his usual self again. 

As much as he could—with half of them missing and no sign of them whatsoever, Chopper felt ill all over again. Would things ever return to normal? Would they ever set sail again? 

Determined to brush these thoughts off his mind for the day, Chopper shuffled out of the infirmary bed to take a stroll through the ship. Franky had done some changes to it out of need for fixes and the different kinds of resources on this island. Still it was their home, it was their Sunny and she had withstood the calamity with bravery and even found her way back to them. She deserved all the treatment and dedication necessary. 

Two steps into the galley Chopper was halted by a scent faintly touching his nostrils. At first his brain was to preoccupied by the reconstructed surroundings and the dust and dirt covering all surfaces. Gradually the sweet scent connected to memories and once the image enfolded before his mental eye, Chopper held his breath. 

There was Nami’s scent strongly wavering over to him, as if it demanded his attention. It was definitely Nami—but she couldn’t be around, could she? He would have known, Sanji would’ve created such a havoc and he would have woken up from it for sure. Then maybe her scent was still stuck inside this room, well citrus fruits did have a persistent smell, didn’t they? 

Letting out the held breath, Chopper dropped his shoulders. Nothing hurt him as severely as the missing of his friends, not the wounds he had gained in the forest, nor the damages he had taken during the catastrophe, no—smelling Nami’s scent of sweet mikan and her mild perfume, it struck another hole in his heart tearing it all the way open to the edges of his mind and soul. He felt completely shredded inside, more and more memories of Robin, of Usopp, of Brook, of Luffy flooding his mind. There was nothing that could save him from drowning in this imaginary ocean, and he didn’t find the strength to fight against it anyway. 

“Are you okay, Chopper?” Outside his hazy daze stood Zoro and Sanji, entered through the galley door to check up on him he supposed. Their faces were branded with a frown of worry—Zoro’s more than Sanji’s—ready to jump to his aid if something was wrong.

“Yes… I just…” He felt a lump blocking any more words coming out of his throat. They got stuck inside his chest and bumped against his ribcage, their freedom crucial for his mental stability. “I think I smell… Nami.”

The galley door was slammed shut before any of them could react, the bare impact of the move crushing the atmosphere and their nerves. There had never been enough time in the universe to take action. 

Zoro sighed roughly, brushed through his hair and over his face. “Don’t mind him, he’s worse with his temper and… you know him.” 

All the situations that proved that statement were bundled in a collection inside Chopper’s brain, against his will and without his permission. These times when the floor beneath their feet had crumbled, when their backs had been against the walls and the sun had seemed to never shine again. Those split seconds of bare hopelessness that had only ever flashed up for a blink of an eye but long enough to show the naked feelings devouring Sanji from within. Although always so quick with masking his fear behind power and thin confidence, Chopper had always been quick with catching that unprotected second inside a memory.

“Can we do something to make him feel better?” Chopper asked hopefully, being active around the ship would help his own mood as well. 

The importance of the answer made Zoro think hard for a moment. During their stay at the farm the cook’s mood had been above sea level because of the opportunity to help around the kitchen and sometimes even prepare a meal of his own for the family. But the galley was only optically in good shape, it desired an intense cleaning session and also supplies to make use of the kitchen at all. “Maybe if we got the galley up and ready again, he could at least start cooking again,” Zoro suggested finally. 

Chopper nodded in agreement, his face split in half by a smile, “Then let’s get to work.”


	17. Sunblink

## Chapter 15: Sunblink

Sweet tones tore Brook from his slumber, at first a rhythm, then a melody and when his senses had finally awoken, he distinguished voices. One soft, one louder, but both in melodic and musical synchronicity. The harmonies were luring him out of bed, so close they sounded but so unfamiliar they seemed. 

The tunes drew him towards the small kitchen opposite the living-room, and revealed to him the source of the music that couldn’t be stranger: On top the counter beside the sink sat Luffy, partially forced into the corner while Robin stood more or less next to him, leaned against the counter with the sink. Both with mugs in their hands, chanting along to a song playing on the radio that Brook had never heard. 

But the lines were sung directly from their hearts, “Oh dear friend, have you lost your way? I will be where the waves sway, I will wait where the ocean spray.” Their voices supporting another yet melting into one harmony at some notes, “aboard the boat we call our home, till the sacred lands shine in the distance—no one has to sail alone.”

Brook was at a loss of words. There was no word to describe the emotion he felt after hearing their song, or to label the sound of their singing. To hear his captain sing—as enchanting as it still was to him, neither was it new—but all the more the second voice of the duet was a surprise to him. Never had he doubted Robin’s voice to be a remarkable singing voice, the twist was simply the honour to ever hear it. Who would have guessed to hear her sing? 

Their captain once more seemed to be the reason, so Brook shouldn’t be surprised. 

Once the song was finished, Brook dared to step closer and revealed his presence by the sound of his boney finger tips tapping on the doorframe. It was troublesome to fit through the rather small apartment built for people roughly a head taller than Robin, and so he was mostly moving through it like a hiker climbing a cave’s shaft. His large hand wrapping around the wooden doorframe to the kitchen created a noise—the way bones touching a solid surface did—and drew the attention of the other two towards him. 

“Ah, excuse my interruption,” Brook apologised politely, by now completely filling in the space of the door. “Good morning.”

“Mornin’,” Luffy beamed at him, the very obvious mood surrounding him like a glow of sunlight. “Slept well?”

“Yes, indeed I have,” he responded with some nervous undertone as he watched Robin turning his back on him. “I didn’t mean to disturb your duet, if I have.” 

“Uh, that’s fine. Sorry if we woke you up,” Luffy countered and slipped off the counter carefully, “Let’s move to the other room for breakfast.” 

And so Brook was almost shoved over to the table at the windowside of the living-room. Had he caused inconveniences? Robin didn’t seem fine with his appearing, even irritated—or was it just his mind? Interpreting the younger woman’s mimics and behaviour was still such a great riddle to him, he couldn’t place her expressions or gestures at times at all. Most of the times it made him feel very insecure, even vulnerable in her presence, since she seemed to have the power to understand anyone’s character by just a glimpse. 

“Don’t mind Robin. She’s just a little embarrassed, is all,” Luffy reassured him while clearing the table off its nightly mess. When it wasn’t used for meals, it was loaded up with random objects they didn’t know where else to put. 

“I am sorry. I didn’t intend to make her feel embarrassed. Your singing was so fantastic,” Brook awed loudly, the melody still flowing in his mental ears. “I would have never dared to dream about hearing Robin-san sing. But her voice is so beautiful—much as the bird’s itself.”

Luffy laughed at the funny but very pretty compliment. “I’ve never thought that too but we kinda started doing that. I think it shows how comfortable she feels.” 

Of course—Brook nodded in agreement, “Robin-san is more candid around you than I remember.”

“Isn’t she? I really hope that won’t ever change and that she will change towards you too. She needs some time to adjust to people, it’s an old trust issue, I think.” Luffy continued, “But who would blame her.”

Brook nodded again, unable catch the silence before it infiltrated the atmosphere. 

 

After breakfast, when all awkwardness was off the table, they sat together to discuss their next steps. Now with Robin on their team, they would definitely come up with some good plan, at least in Luffy’s hopeful thinking. Though—as much as he was motivated to finally receive some clue, he felt strangely annoyed by the effort. Normally he would now have time for writing or go outside to play with the boys or accompany Robin to work but instead they needed to create a strategy with little room for failure. 

Since time was running against them, wasn’t it? Their friends could be dead or close enough, they could never be able to leave this island or would have to stay for some time longer. And that would be bad? Luffy wasn’t certain of which feeling he should give into, the urge to search for their friends in disregard of their new life or postpone the reunion with their friends in favour of their new companions? 

He could be singing songs with Robin forever. And never sail the seas again. 

“Luffy—would you mind to listen.”

The voice shook him awake from the strange daze of unwelcome thoughts. “Yeah, sorry...“

“I agree, Robin-san, it would be unnecessary for us all to go to Pineshaw,” Brook agreed after a sip of his tea, “I would like to help though.”

“I’ve already thought about you. While Luffy is finding out what happened in Pineshaw, I will get books from the library about the island’s history and geography. And I need you to help me research,” Robin suggested her plan, detailed to the core. “I have only little time to read while shelving so I can only look through the assortment for anything that could be a possible help. I will help you when I’m home though.”

“And I’m supposed to get to Pineshaw? How?” Luffy frowned—how long had he spaced out? 

Robin smirked, although a little sourly, “I thought you were all good with Dera again, am I mistaken?”

“No,” Luffy sighed roughly, “But I’m not really sure to pull her any more into this mess. I still ought to explain some things to her…” 

“She doesn’t seem as if she cares much about that knowledge. Much like anyone else,” Robin noticed as she remembered the last encounters with the young woman at work, “She did accept Brook without asking the obvious questions. Remember how we have reacted when we met him the first time.”

“I remember she only asked whether I was family of Luffy-san’s,” Brook added with the same underlying curiosity in his voice. 

Folding his arms before his chest, Luffy leaned back in his chair with a deep frown. Indeed Dera’s reactions seemed very atypical even for his taste and compared to the character of the people on this island, she should have freaked out rather than accepting it so openly. Luffy had met so many folks and types of people throughout their journey but none had ever matched the term ordinary so much than this island. There were no devil fruits or at least they hadn‘t come across anyone else with these powers yet. People had no other special powers nor did any animals. They didn‘t know about log poses and used compasses even for sailing, they used their own technology instead of transponder snails and the strangest Luffy had noticed—it seemed as if there weren‘t any other pirates but in century-old stories. And that while they were living in the so-called Golden Age of Pirates.

“Maybe you can find out more about her and why people are so apathetic,” Robin interjected his thoughts. “Or you can get there on your own by bus. Takes five hours and you would have to stay in Pineshaw overnight.”

Luffy wrinkled his nose at the idea. “Eh… no, I’ll ask Dera.” 

“Good. Brook and I will investigate on how to get off the island.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update this week since I wouldn't be able to update this weekend.   
> Also: Lyrics by me, poor attempt at writing my own since the inclusion of copyrighted songs is such a tricky thing to do so I thought it was better to fix up my own lines.   
> Happy reading!


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